For Chris Wiedman, Confidence is Key When Facing Anderson Silva at UFC 162

Sometimes the hardest thing to overcome when facing an iconic figure in fighting is their mystic.

Chris Weidman (9-0) takes on UFC middleweight champion and pound-for-pound best Anderson Silva (33-4) in the UFC 162 main event on July 6, and believes Silva defeats many of his opponents before they even step into the cage.

“I think he (Siliva) definitely, obviously has a strong mental game. I think a lot of the guys he kind of beats before they walk into the octagon. Not really because of his mental game, it’s more the performances that he’s put on. Guys go in there unsure of themselves,” said Weidman on a UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman media conference call on Tuesday.

“I think his performances speak for themselves and are kind of drawn into the minds of the guys going to walk into the cage with him if you’re not mentally prepared and truly confident in yourself. I think the main thing is to have confidence in there and the best guy is going to win,” added the 29-year-old middleweight contender.

Weidman enters the fight as an underdog, and rightfully so. Silva is much more experienced. Weidman’s been out of action for nearly a year, but he doesn’t let those things enter his mind.

“I think if I let all of that stuff get inside my mind, and I was thinking about that stuff, that might get to me. But I’m just really focused on this fight. I don’t need a mental coach. If I had a mental coach I guess it would be Ray Longo,” said Weidman.

“I have a psychology degree, so I think that might help a little bit. But I know what type of mindset I need to have to walk into the cage. I vision the fight every day and all day long. The biggest thing is to stay confident and stay relaxed and make sure I dictate my fight once I get in there. I’m not worried about any of that other stuff. I’m pretty good with having a strong mindset and not letting things get to me,” added the challenger.